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Hot Italian

So a guy walks up to a hot Italian and says, “crack an egg on my pizza.” Sound like the start of a good joke? Actually, it’s the start of a good pizza.

The hot Italian is Hot Italian, a pizza place hermit crabbed into a space once occupied by a fireplace store. And the pizza – including the one with the baked egg on it – is worth a try.

Their pies are all thin crust, which may seem like a problem if you’re a traditionalist as I am. My preference is a thick crust that can carry a generous spread of sauce. In fact, I’d be happy with nothing more than a bowl of sauce and crust sticks for dunking.

But Hot Italian helps explain why there are thin crust devotees.

With less dough, these pies need only a few minutes baking. They come out of the wood fired over with chewy, slightly charred edges and enough body to take a wide variety of toppings.

That includes the “Stella” made of prosciutto parma, mozzarella, crescenza cheese, a mushroom medley and the optional baked egg in the center. Odd as it sounds, the egg was a bonus. It added a richness you don’t expect on a pizza. Drizzle on a little of the olive oil they provide and you have a different but beguiling pizza experience.

Several of the pizzas combos can also be ordered as a calzone or panini.

Whether you are a deep disher or traditionalist, if you are tempted to cross over to thin crust, this might be just the spot to see what it's like. Plus, it’s probably the only way you’ll get the punch line for the hot Italian pizza and egg joke.